This invention relates to television systems, and, more particularly, to interactive television systems such as interactive television program guide systems with video recording capabilities.
Interactive television systems may be used to provide interactive television applications, such as interactive television program guides, which present screens of interactive television program listings to users. The screens presented in interactive television program guides may also include selectable displays, such as advertisements, which users may select to access additional information for the advertised product or service. The products and services advertised using the interactive television system may include for example, program guide services, pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, web browsing services, games, home shopping, or any other suitable product or service.
In typical interactive television systems, users may have access to set-top boxes or other user equipment in their home. Users may interact with this equipment using remote controls or other user interfaces. In a personal computing environment, users may access interactive television program guide web sites.
Interactive television program guides may be implemented on personal video recorder platforms. A typical personal video recorder has a hard disk drive for storing digital video recordings that may be played back on a user's television. Video recorder functionality may also be provided using equipment at a cable system headend. With this type of network-based video recorder, a user may direct equipment at the headend to perform video recording and playback functions.
Sometimes a user of an interactive television application, such as an interactive television program guide, may have only just enough time to briefly peruse a program guide advertisement. The user may not have time to view more extensive information (e.g., of the type that might be provided in an advertising video).
It would therefore be desirable to allow users of interactive television applications to set up recordings for videos related to advertisements so that the videos could later be provided to and viewed by the user at a more suitable time.